A Dreamer's Wake
by aratcorien
Summary: BMWW: Three months after Odi, Amo et Excrucior, Batman has second thoughts when his dreams are visited by a mysterious omniscient. Can Wonder Woman and the League save him? Does he want to be saved? Why does Flash have ice cream?
1. Titans

"For hope is but the dream of those who wake" Mathew Prior  
The above quote was given to me at the end of a review for Odi Amo et Excrucior. I loved it so much I decided to write a fiction based upon it. Thank you Karene. So a sequel to the Odi, Amo et Excrucior trilogy of one shots has been written and I am slowly uploading the chapters as I go. I'm not entirely certain how this one'll come out, but it should prove interesting. Thanks for staying tuned.  
  
Ara, Signing on:

* * *

"Diana" His voice comes through the small yellow metalic box strapped to Wonder Woman's hip slowly at first, crackling and fizzing past post-bomb static.  
  
"Diana!"  
  
Fluttering her eyes open, Wonder Woman shook her head and found she couldn't move her legs. A deep bass ringing stung her ears with a thudding like a slow grate of fingernails on a chalk board. Again the sound wrenched her closing eyes as she realised a pattern to the syllables:  
  
"Diana!"  
  
"Batman" she mumbled, coughing a sticky mound of dust and debris out of her airways spastically before yelling again into her soar, painful throat,  
  
"Batman!"  
  
"Hold on!"  
  
Shaking the remaining fog out of her head, Wonder Woman, Princess of the Amazons reached within her focused warrior mind and pulled at the power which allowed her the priviledge of flight. Tugging at the wind, she lifted her arms above her head and thrust herself up out of the pile of debris and hung precariously above the gaping hole before blinking and ducking a split second before a missile hit it's target. Losing her balance from the explosion, she tumbled to the ground, a sharp pain ripping at her sight like a firework. Dazed, Wonder Woman took a blind swing at something hazardous and yellow, allowing the buzzing to empower her as she pushed whatever it was away and stood to wipe her eyes and realise she wasn't wiping just sweat and debris.  
  
Blood.  
  
It was another second before she realised in her confused state the blood was hers, and viewing the closest moving object, she lunged, thinking the object was another opponent. A warrior's cry split the scene as before she reached her opponent, an encompassing blackness dwarfed her briefly before pulling her to the ground. Landing on top of the darkness, she yanked herself upwards, stumbling briefly before feeling her own rope pull around her and lead her to the ground again. Above the adrenaline pumping her heart to breakneck speed, she heard the same bass droning, a heavy humming replacing the electronic static buzz.  
  
"Diana! Do you hear me?"  
  
Jerking away, Diana took a laboured breath, catching in her throat and coughing up a spastic cough of blood, dust and mucus. Spitting at the ground, she turned to feel the blackness wipe at her eyes and forehead.  
  
"What's happening?" she wheezed, as Batman came into a blurred focus.  
  
"You tell m... hang on!" the Dark Knight barked, grabbing the Amazon Princess by the waist and swinging them out of the battle via bat-grapple to the roof of a mid-sized building on the far side of the battlefield.  
  
"Justice League, regroup on the Westmount building, repeat: this is Batman, regroup!"  
  
By the time it took Diana to realise she had encircled her legs around Batman's waist, the Flash had sped up to eye the team members and whistle precariously. Letting her legs fall to the ground, Wonder Woman grimaced at the tender sharp pain her right leg sent up her nervous system. Batman felt the brief tightening of her muscles and held her up more securely as the rest of the League arrived. Diana let him hold her.  
  
"Superman, you and Hawkgirl take the high east, come from behind the sun, blind them and attack. Green Lantern, take Flash and cover the south, use Flash as bait if you have to. J'onn"  
  
"I know, handle the rest"  
  
"Exactly. Any questions?"  
  
"Yeah, what about Princess?" Hawkgirl said, folding her arms to her chest.  
  
"I've got north" Wonder Woman said, her head clearing as the adrenaline paced the grogginess out.  
  
"Stay away from the north parkade" Batman barked, sending the League to finish the battle with Luthor and his new batch of robots.  
  
"Why?" Green Lantern asked as he flew off with the Flash in a green bubble.  
  
"It's mine" Batman said as the League deployed and just as Wonder Woman prepared to fly off,  
  
"Where do you think you're going?"  
  
"To cover the north"  
  
"Not like that"  
  
"Like what?" Diana said, challenging the slightly shorter man  
  
"Bleeding and injured"  
  
"I've had worse"  
  
"Not when you almost took down Superman"  
  
"That was Superman?"  
  
"Be careful"  
  
"Batman worried?"  
  
Diana smirked at Batman's inner panic. She had to admit, he was cute when he got like that. Before lifting off to the north of the battlefield, Diana leaned in and kissed Batman's cheek before grabbing his hand and flying him to his parkade. Batman grimaced severely, now he would have to re-search the area and destroy all evidence. All of it. Beyond the battle, Wonder Woman acted as cover, destroying the robots that got too close and waiting for the word from Batman.  
  
"Now!"  
  
Hearing the word, the League sprang into action, corraling the group of robots and Luthor towards the parkade as Batman let loose a volley of Batarangs to five small black boxes lining the pillars. Launching himself at Wonder Woman, they grabbed hands as the team flew out the back and Superman ripped Luthor out of his suit and tied him up with a loose cable from a defunked wiring system. As the police came to take over, Superman surrepticiously dropped Luthor in a secured Police vehicle before turning back and joining his team.  
  
"Good work people, we almost" Superman started, staring straight at the Dark Knight,  
  
"Got through this without damage to the city. You mind explaining yourself, Batman?"  
  
"It was ugly"  
  
"Lay off Batman's methods, they worked didn't they?" Wonder Woman piped up, stopping with a signal to cut it from Batman. Flash whistled, but shut up after another patent Bat-death-glare  
  
"Okay, well. . . I'm going for a drink anyone up to playing Super-hero hookey and joining me?"  
Hawkgirl said, grabbing Green Lantern before he had the chance to object.  
  
"Hey! I wanted to see how it'd turn out!" the rest of the League could hear Green Lantern's diminishing voice as Hawkgirl answered,  
  
"No you don't"  
  
"Apparently I don't" were the last words they could hear as Batman and Superman and Wonder Woman stared each other down.  
  
"Fine. But if anything comes out of this, Batman, you're on your own"  
  
"I work alone"  
  
"Fine"  
  
"Fine"  
  
Wonder Woman and Superman stared each other down as Flash and J'onn melted slowly away before noticing the Bat was nowhere to be found.  
  
"What is with you, Diana?"  
  
"Why can't you just let Batman do as he will?"  
  
"Someone has to be responcible for Batman. He's a loose cannon"  
  
"Loose..! At least he knows when to control his bleeding heart!"  
  
"I didn't think Batman had a heart!"  
  
"Shows what you know!"  
  
"And you know different?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Fine, then prove me wrong, but if Batman pulls another stunt like this again, don't come to me to clean up after it. The Joker was enough!"  
  
"I don't remember anyone asking you!"  
  
Superman took a double back as Diana stood proud and tall, regal even though the blood from her injuries was still coating her face and arms.  
  
"Someone has to lead the team"  
  
"Batman's not part of this team. He owes us nothing"  
  
"Then why does he fight with us so often, Princess? If he really doesn't owe us any obligation, then what don't I know?"  
  
"Watch yourself Clark. Push me any further and I'll show you what Hades is like. First hand"  
  
"Is that a threat?" the mammoth man asked, squaring his shoulders.  
  
"Lay. Off. Bruce. Because if it ever came to a point between him and the Justice League, I know who I'll choose"  
  
"Funny. I used to know who you'd side with, too"  
  
Staring him down, Diana clenched her fists tighter, Superman thought it best to leave before he goaded the Princess any further. Amazons, why do they have to be so testy? Batman crouched watching the superheroes' exchange all the while listening to the police reports and surveying the evidence he'd have to clean up. Wrenching himself further into the shadows, he avoided Superman's flight back to the cozy apartment he shared with Lois Lane and noticed the way Diana painfully unclenched her bloody fingers. Scaling down a fourth story wall, the caped crusader kept his eyes on the woman currently scanning the cuts in her palms from her fingernails.  
  
"How can you be so..." Diana started, her warrior's senses alerting her to the presence of this very dangerous man.  
  
"Nonchalant?"  
  
"I was going to say arrogant, but that works, too"  
  
"Cave. 12 minutes"  
  
"How in the name of Zeus can y. . . I hate it when he does that" Wonder Woman said to the empty breeze as she took flight to Gotham City, and used the hankercheif he slipped into her palm to wipe away the blood. 


	2. Morpheus

A/N: Chapter 2 a bit more into the actual plot, you guys are going to hate me for this chapter, but trust I have a plan! Think dream sequence and enjoy in some trippy way.  
  
HeyBats - Critique #1: I was going with the Comic book version of Diana and Batman, in which [hard to believe] Diana is slightly taller [or at least carries herself taller . . . I think Bats slouches... oh well... I can change it if you want. Critique #2: Did you read the last one shot of my Odi, Amo et Excrucior trilogy? This is a sequel and Supes is still angry about what Bats did to the Joker in Odi Amo et Excrucior:The Divine and Conclusive. I can put a bit of a re-vamp in this chapter, though. Actually, I think I did. . . I'll double check.  
  
Jerzee Gurl: HAH! I got you! I had already done three chapters of this! Here. . . is the next!  
  
Mrs. Jean Grey-Summers: thanks.  
  
ccabello: Thanks, and here is the second chapter.

* * *

"Welcome back, Master Bruce. May I offer you some protein or gauze as the case may be?"  
  
"Med supplies out?"  
  
"But of course"  
  
"Diana's coming"  
  
"Well, in that case I had better whip up a propper meal"  
  
"Thanks Alfred"  
  
"Thank You, Master Bruce. About time I get to do some proper cooking for a change. . ." the elderly British butler mumbled to himself and the few bats that were listening as he trotted up the cave steps and into the secret compartments that would lead to Wayne Manor and the kitchen. Hearing the soft padded footsteps of Diana's boots, Batman turned to face the raven haired Princess and swept her with a kiss.  
  
After disconnecting, Batman tore off his tunic, gloves, cape and cowl, turning to where Alfred had laid a damp medical sponge with anti-bacterial cleanserhe took off Diana's tiara and wiped away the blood from a deep cut on her face. Working silently, Diana and Bruce cleaned each other's wounds, ending with Bruce wrapping Diana's foot for a change.  
  
"Diagnosis?"  
  
"Broken"  
  
"I'll fly"  
  
"When did you hurt it?"  
  
"Must have been when that building caved in on me"  
  
"I was worried"  
  
"You?"  
  
Bruce looked down like a small boy caught with his daddy's suit in the mud as his eyes lept to the side and he switched from Bruce Wayne to Batman.  
  
"Only for a moment"  
  
"I couldn't see"  
  
"Debris"  
  
"I was completely disoriented"  
  
"Happens to anyone"  
  
"Even you?"  
  
"I'm not anyone"  
  
"I got sloppy"  
  
"More training"  
  
"With who? Superman? Face it, Bruce I'm losing my edge"  
  
"Alfred's probably finished making dinner by now"  
  
"Is that all. . . what am I g..."  
  
Batman put two fingers on Diana's lips as he finished taping her ankle, subtly reaching up to kiss the already healing scar on her forehead from a deep cut she suffered from her tiara. Ever the gentleman, he stood, offering her his hand as she scowled a frown and took it, then flew up to the entrance of the cave and Wayne Manor. Staying behind for a precious minute, Batman studied and cleaned a deep wound in the muscle of his upper leg: one he didn't let Diana know about, before walking up the stairs and turning to survey the Batcave, and making a mental note to the stuff he would have to do while Diana slept upstairs.

* * *

An odd mixture of grey and guarish purples and oranges fed into Bruce's vision as clouds of silver and green floated by with the shrieks of the long since dead. A wave of blue-orange panic took Bruce's composure and sent it scattering into the holes in the yellow ground and dingey sky. In the middle of the colourful maelestrome, Bruce heard the wind screaming. . . he ran. And ran. Running as his body melted back to where he had run from, barely snapping back into its gelatinous form in the purple-orange sun and moon melting together. Through the screaming and whimpers he could identify a black and red form, running faster, he realized the screams and cries were coming from the black and red. It was Diana, and she was in great pain.  
  
"Diana!!"  
  
"Why!!?" she screamed, her black and red dream self floating and festering in a pool, no, a waterfall of her own blood. Bending down, Bruce grabbed the golden knife from the origin of the waterfall and pulled, stopping the blood flow and holding the melting golden object in his cupped hands.  
  
"Who did this!?" he shouted, as the clouds began circling and dancing morbidly to the wails and shrieking of a choir of women corpses alight in the clouds faces. Approaching in a closer knit circle, the cloud corpses wailed an answer to Bruce's ears as he looked into the mirrored pool of Diana's blood to see Batman.  
  
"You!" He couldn't speak, couldn't move or answer as the yellow earth swallowed his arms and legs, leaving room for only his eyes to see and his ears to hear as Diana's voice began to change and the timbre loose its lustre as a cloud spewed from her mouth and nostril, encircling her as her body was hung alongside the clouded corpses of his parents and other amazonian dead.  
  
"We are the dead! Cursed! Cursed!" the voices wailed, as whatever breath Batman could muster creaked and poisoned his bellowed lungs. The space where Diana had been swirled and transformed, the black and red shifting to a glorious white as the wailing and dancing of the corpse clouds spun and quickened and the white rose to the sun and moon, banishing them to the deep dark of the abyss beyond before taking shape as a young girl, wrapped in white whose voice penetrated even the earth Batman was engulfed in.  
  
"Father"  
  
A small whisper was heard as one lone voice screamed,  
  
"Morpheus!"  
  
and went silent as the earth swallowed him whole, and a sweltering heat of dark reds and purples sunk and bit into his skin before it was gone.

* * *

Bruce awoke screaming, sitting up in bed as he wrenched his hands over his ears. Immediately, Diana woke up,  
  
"Bruce! What's wrong!?"  
  
His breathing heavy and laboured, Bruce searched his surroundings, his baritone voice shrieking as Diana reached to touch him. He tumbled out of bed and flung himself out the door of his bedroom and down the vast halls,  
  
"NO!!!!" his shouts could be heard reverberating throughout Wayne Manor, waking Alfred, Dick, & Tim, as the master of the house fled into the only solace he had ever known. With one final grunt, he closed and locked shut the entrance to the Batcave. Falling with his back against the door, Bruce Wayne, Batman, the hero of nightmares shook as he held himself and cried to sleep with the sound of bat wings to carry him home.

* * *

"As soon as Batman graces us with his presence, we can start the meeting" Superman said, taking his seat at the great table in the Watchtower.  
  
"Batman's not coming" Wonder Woman spoke up, the first words she had spoken since coming to the Watchtower for shift three days ago. Diana looked dischevilled, dark circles betraying sleepless nights and knotted hair about her face, a royal blue cape draped over her shoulders to disguise the look of hunger and the goosebumps along her skin.  
  
". . . Alright then. . . Here's the situation, people: the President of Kazakstan has called an emergency meeting with us as one of his nukes was stolen"  
  
"Do we know by whom?" J'onn Jones, the Martian Manhunter asked, keeping his consciousness firmly on Diana's troubled mind.  
  
"Ra's Al Ghul" Superman said, eliciting a sharp look from Wonder Woman.  
  
"What!?"  
  
"At least that got your attention"  
  
"Hey, isn't he one of Batman's old buddies?" the Flash said, putting his hands around his neck and sticking his tongue out quickly.  
  
"Shouldn't he be here for this?"  
  
"I'd think Batman would have been on this already" Green Lantern said, rubbing his chin.  
  
"Batman doesn't answer to us!" Wonder Woman said, her exterior catching up to the shaken estate of her mind.  
  
"Woa! Calm down Princess. I'm sure Bats is already taking care of the situation, right Supes?" Flash said, palms forward.  
  
"One would think, Flash. They called because Batman hasn't shown up. And reports from Gotham are coming in: Batman's no where to be found."  
  
"Well that's a surprise"  
  
"Yeah, one I'd like to understand" Superman said, "At least until I get some questions answered. Dismissed, stay on call." he said, directing his glare straight to his friend Diana. Superman rose like an arthritic, walking slowly to a great window looking down on Earth below. As everyone left the meeting room, Diana stayed behind.  
  
"He's not insane, you know that"  
  
"Isn't he?"  
  
"Clark. . ."  
  
"Think about it, Diana. How else would he be able to don a big black cape and go around with the solitary goal of scaring crime away?"  
  
"How can we don what we wear and fight crime away? He's human, Clark. Not alien or Amazonian or super-powered. . . he's just a man"  
  
"You say that so protectively. Diana?"  
  
Diana looked out the window holding her arms to her stomac beneath her cape. Somewhere down there was a man naked in a whirlwind refusing protection. She would give it to him if he would come. All he had to do was come, whether he came out of pain or appology or crisis didn't matter, she would forgive him his sins, and give him as much happiness as she could, but somewhere, Clark was right. Somewhere.  
  
"First the Joker now this?"  
  
"It's not like that now"  
  
"Isn't it?"  
  
"I wish I knew what to do"  
  
"Me too"  
  
Slowly Clark Kent and Diana of the Amazons leaned into each other, friends giving comfort where they could before the call.

* * *

"Nightwing!"  
  
"Diana! What are you.. "  
  
"Where's Bruce?"  
  
"Woa, not so loud."  
  
"Where is he?"  
  
"I... don't know. ."  
  
"Ra's Al Ghul has stolen a nuclear missle from Kazakstan, Two Face is loose on Gotham and reports are coming in that Batman's dead. What happened?"  
  
"I was going to ask you that. Bruce hasn't left the cave since that night a week ago. I went down there two days ago, but he wouldn't budge from his computer. Almost slugged me good too"  
  
"Why hasn't he taken off after Al Ghul?"  
  
"All I know is he keeps searching for some record of Amazonian Dead or something. I thought you might know. Diana, I've never seen him like this."  
  
"The Justice League is going after Al Ghul. Tell him we need his help"  
  
"Will do"  
  
"Do you need help on patrol?"  
  
"Thanks for the offer, but I've got Robin on the north side and Batgirl along the east. We'll handle things. . . "  
  
"What?"  
  
"There is another option" Nightwing said, pulling the hair away from his face and looking the Amazon in the eyes guiltily.  
  
"What is it?" Wonder Woman asked skeptically.  
  
"I'll become Batman,"  
  
"That's the plan if Bruce died, isn't it?"  
  
". . . Yes. If it gets much worse. . . I can always risk it and call on an old aquaintance to step in."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Jean Paul Valley. Azrael"  
  
Nodding grimly, Wonder Woman took flight to what she knew to be Kazakstan as Nightwing swung down from a morose gargoyle and surveyed yet another night. This was bad. Really bad.  
  
"Athena give me wisdom, Hera give me strength" 


	3. Hypocrates

A/N: Another chapter, a bit more Justice League in this fic, thought I'd add some more characters for lack of better things to write. Hope it gets less or . . . more confusing  
XOOOO1: thanks  
  
brainfear: more posted, just because you asked so nicely [seriously. I only post when I'm reviewed]  
  
terry2004: yep, a continuation, and all because I had reviews. and emails. thanks you guys!  
  
ccabello: okay another chapter, a bit more on the Huh? side of wierdy, but at least it's a chapter.

* * *

Upon entering the lair of Al Ghul, the entire Justice League had an uneasy feeling. Flash sped up to do recon as J'onn scanned for any unusual activity. Flash came back white as a sheet.  
  
"Status" Superman asked, looking at the twenty-something speedster worredly.  
  
"I think I know why Bats didn't show up to the Watchtower meeting"  
  
Taking them inside, it was evident to a layman that Batman had been there, traces of smoke, batarangs, weapons scattered helplessly and many a broken, slumped unconscious man with either bullet holes or martial arts slashes embedded in their flesh. It was carnage, hardly any were dead.  
  
"Not another mess to clean" Superman whispered, grimmly walking towards the central area of the complex. Walking to the right, Wonder Woman felt her skin prickle as she walked past Superman and held herself ready for anything except this.  
  
There Batman stood, in all his darkened glory shadowing eerily over a defeated Al Ghul who was slumped unconscious under what looked to be Satan himself.  
  
"Leave" the word was coarse and garbled in his throat, but unmistakably a very tired, dangerous Batman.  
  
"We thought you hadn't . ."  
  
"I knew."  
  
"Why didn't you call me?"  
  
"This was my fight"  
  
"I was beginning to think our fights were the same"  
  
"You're wrong"  
  
"Batman! Were's the nuke!" Superman shouted, flying into the room.  
  
"Destroyed."  
  
Diana fingered her lasso, but thought better of tempting fate, as Batman gripped Ra's Al Ghul and carried the smaller man towards an exit.  
  
"What happened here?" Superman questioned, barring Batman from the doorway.  
  
"Out of my way, Clark"  
  
"Not until I get a play by play"  
  
"Fine" Batman reached into his belt and produced a green, shining stone, kryptonite. Weakened and in pain, Superman fell to the ground as Wonder Woman flew the short distance to the blue and red caped crusader.  
  
"Batman!" she called, desperate to get through to her lover.  
  
"NO!" the dark knight cringed, the mere sound of her voice torturing him visibly as he trudged with Ra's Al Ghul out the exit and to the Batwing as a soft beeping began to light itself on Diana's ears as she picked up a piece of paper that had fluttered from a fold in Batman's cape. He wouldn't. . . Hera!  
  
"Flash! Get everyone out!!" Wonder Woman screamed in her commlink, picking the recovering form of Superman up and out of the building.

* * *

"Two days after the greatest explosion in Kazakstani history, everyone, including the Justice League is trying to pick up the pieces. No trace has been found of Ra's Al Ghul or the nuclear missle, but as the Justice League helps with clean up, one question is still on everyone's mind: Where is Batman, and what part did he play in this catastrophe? This is Snapper Carr hoping that all ends well".  
  
"Dammit!" Superman shouted, punching a dent into the Watchtower's wall. Wonder Woman sat on the counter in the kitchen as J'onn meditated a meter off the floor beside Superman.  
  
"I can't condone Batman's actions!" Superman snapped, trying hard to control his anger at the past few days events.  
  
Opening his mouth, J'onn answered,  
  
"He doesn't want us to"  
  
"How"  
  
"His actions are erratic, he has isolated himself completely, left familiar villians to his younger companions and he doesn't have the mental fortitude to barr me from his psyche"  
  
"Is that where you are now?" Wonder Woman looked up at the seven foot Martian, who grimmly nodded with a shiver.  
  
"I will be having nightmares for a decade"  
  
"What's he thinking?"  
  
"I cannot say"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"His normal composure is in shambles, it is as if chaos had raped Batman's mind. He is obsessed over a series of dreams. . . augh!" J'onn spasmed, violently thrusting his eyes open as he stood and leaned against the wall for support.  
  
"J'onn!" Superman shouted, reaching for the Martian, but J'onn signaled the Kryptonian away. Several moments of agonizing silence followed before J'onn looked at Princess Diana of the Amazons with enough sorrow to fill a flooded river.  
  
'What do you see?' she asked, knowing full well he would hear her mind's thoughts.  
  
'He fears losing you'  
  
"He knew the risks" she said aloud, Superman watching the telepathic and verbal exchange curiously, slowly pulling the pieces together.  
  
'He dreams of corpses, you as one of them'  
  
"Hera"  
  
"Will someone clue me in already"  
  
"Batman is acting out of fear of loosing Diana"  
  
". . . that's all noble , but. . . "  
  
"We're lovers, Clark"  
  
Letting the shock drain into the massive Kryptonian, Superman sat down,  
  
"Suddenly this whole thing makes a lot more sense"  
  
"He's Batman. He didn't want you to know"  
  
"When? When did you.. two..."  
  
"We've been. . . we weren't together until. . until Batman nearly killed the Joker."  
  
"Three months?! You've been dating him for three months?"  
  
"I moved into Wayne Manor five months ago, Clark"  
  
"Five months!? I have GOT to get a better handle on things!"  
  
"Don't overreact"  
  
"Five months, Diana! Five! Of course Batman would be jumpy, heck he'd even be erratic, now it all makes sense! I learned a long time ago that a passionate Batman is the most dangerous man on this planet or the next. He's in love with you!"  
  
"Yes." J'onn spoke, again in his meditative position. Diana stood silent, her arms folded against her chest.  
  
"No wonder he's been coming on more missions. Batman's obsessive. . . Diana how could you do this?"  
  
"I know what he's like"  
  
"I beg to differ. Anyone who truely knows Batman knows he absolutely must keep his distance"  
  
"I know!"  
  
"Then what possessed you to . . . to . . . darnit!"  
  
"I knew the risks and so did he, I share his bed, Clark, I would think I've gone deeper into his mind than you"  
  
"I would hope so"  
  
"So what do we do now?"  
  
"You seem to be good at negotiating with him, Diana. You think of something"  
  
"He's shut me out"  
  
"I had no idea he'd use kryptonite on me"  
  
"He has contingency plans for all of us. Even me"  
  
"Yeah. Noticed. What I'm worried about is that he only uses them when he's run out of options. He'd be like a wounded animal in a cage!"  
  
"For Batman, it is better to stay away from someone he loves than risk harming them. It is his creed" J'onn said, eyes firmly shut.  
  
"Hera."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Morpheus"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"The god of dreams. He wrote it on the piece of paper that fell from his cape. I didn't know what he meant by it, but if what J'onn says... Morpheus must be corrupting his mind"  
  
"Or warning me"  
  
"Batman!"  
  
"Batman!"  
  
"He is here"  
  
"Thanks for the update, J'onn" Superman said sarchastically.  
  
"You're welcome"  
  
"Diana, may I speak with you alone, please?" Batman growled, motioning the other people out of the room before Superman noticed the blood soaking his uniform under his ribs.

* * *

"What did y..."  
  
"I can't do this Diana."  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Us. I . . I can't"  
  
"Why? We were happy"  
  
"I know. You knew the risks, you knew I'd hurt you but you continued anyways"  
  
"I need a better reason than just because."  
  
"I can't give you one"  
  
"Is it the dreams?"  
  
". . . Yes."  
  
"J'onn told us. He said you were sending out waves the size of cities. You've lost control, let me help"  
  
"NO!" Batman flinced into the corner, sending a shockwave of his garbled emotions to the one woman who knew him too well.  
  
"Why!?"  
  
"I won't be responsible for your death!!" Batman shouted, sending his great black cape around himself as he tried to hide the heaving of his lungs and bloody uniform.  
  
"I refuse! I love you too much to . . to continue with something that will tear you apart!"  
  
"You're willing to tear yourself apart instead!?"  
  
"Yes"  
  
"Do you not think I can make my own decision?"  
  
"You don't realise the gravity of the situation"  
  
"And you do?"  
  
Batman set his grim eyes on Diana, pleading with her to understand. She stared back relentless.  
  
"I promised a friend nothing could stop me from leaving. Must I tell my lover that my promises are worthless?"  
  
Batman gave off his most demonic, fear-embedding stare to Diana, she didn't relent.  
  
"I didn't promise. . ."  
  
"I did. So back off, Batman."  
  
"Your funeral"  
  
Sneering, Batman started backing towards the door, Diana began to walk towards him, but something caught her eye and when she turned, he was gone. "  
  
Well THAT you don't see every day" the Flash said, his eyes wide as his untouched frappucino dangled in his very surprised hand.  
  
Sighing annoyedly, Wonder Woman folded her arms to her chest and leaned against the side of the kitchen counter. Great. Just. . . great.

* * *

"Uhmmm. . . Princess? I think you'll need this more than me" Flash said, handing the double mocha whipping creamed frapp to the Princess before speeding to the opposite counter.  
  
"I'm . . I'm going to leave now."  
  
"Flash!"  
  
Cringing, Flash turned around,  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I'd appreciate it if you would forget everything you just heard"  
  
"Trust me, hearing Batman try and be romantic is the LAST thing I want on my mind. It never happened."  
  
"Thank you"  
  
"Trust me, no probs." Flash went to walk out, but Diana looked at the frapp and back to where the red speedster was slowly backing out of the room.  
  
". . . You can stay. . if you want. I think Green Lantern hid some ice cream in the back of the freezer"  
  
". . . Really? You mean you're not going to pulverise me?"  
  
"No, but there's a caped crusader I'd like to hurt very much"'  
  
"Well in that case, let's break out the spoons!"  
  
"Why would we want to break the spoons?"  
  
"It means take them out of the drawer. . ." Flash said as he got out two big spoons and Diana tried to smile, walking over to the freezer to grab a tub of double fudge chocolate brownie ice cream from behind a container of frozen rutabaga.  
  
"Ah, the old rutabaga trick. . . can't believe I fell for that" Flash said, to a general confused look from the Princess.  
  
"Hey, just trying to lighten up the situation."  
  
Diana shrugged, turning to take the seat Flash had sped around to grab for her and feeling him hand a spoon to her as he opened the ice cream all in less than four seconds.  
  
"So, how long have you and the Bat been cozy?"  
  
Diana blinked threateningly at him,  
  
"I mean, it couldn't be less than a couple of months, right? I mean, not to pry or anything but your kissing in the hallway when Nightwing was in surgery is kinda hard to miss."  
  
". . . Five months"  
  
"Whew. . . . . . The object is to EAT the ice cream instead of staring at it. It doesn't bite"  
  
"Right." Diana said, digging her spoon in and taking a bite, closing her eyes, sighing and leaning back in her chair.  
  
"Gotta love the good stuff"  
  
"Amen to that" after eating half of the ice cream in silence, Flash sat there fidgeting with his spoon,  
  
"So . . . uh. . . wanna talk about it?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You and Bats, what's going on?"  
  
". . . speak one word of this and Batman will not be the only one wanting to cause you pain"  
  
"Geez, what's a guy gotta do to help around here, beg? Tape my mouth shut? 'Cause both of those I can do"  
  
"Thank you, Flash"  
  
"No probs. . . but I think we'll need more ice cream"  
  
"Agreed"

* * *

"Do I know ice cream, or do I know ICE CREAM" Flash said, waving his hands in the air. Feeling slightly ill from the 7 quarts of ice cream her and the Flash consumed at her appartment on Earth, Diana didn't know if the ill feeling was from the ice cream or from taking relationship advice from the Flash. A bit of both, most likely.  
  
"What do I do?"  
  
"Be honest. I mean, c'mon, it's not like Bats'll go bats and hurt you or anything"  
  
Staring at him, Diana rolled her eyes,  
  
"What? He won't! Trust me on this one"  
  
"Flash, I think the only thing I'll trust you for is ice cream flavours"  
  
"Ouch. harshness!"  
  
"Sorry, I'm just. . . I'm uneasy"  
  
"Try talking about it"  
  
"What do you think this is?"  
  
"To him"  
  
"This is Batman"  
  
"Trust me, I know"  
  
"He's not the easiest to keep in one place for very long"  
  
"Neither am I, but there's always somewhere I go where someone can find me"  
  
". . . I don't think you've ever said something that smart before"  
  
"Really? Cool! . . . What did I say?"  
  
"You are hopeless, aren't you"  
  
"Hey, at least I can run fast and I know ice cream flavours"  
  
Diana smiled, suppressing a light chuckle. Flash grinned.  
  
"Hey, I made you smile, that's a plus"  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"So're you going to take my advice?"  
  
"Against all better judgement?"  
  
"Uhhh, yeah"  
  
"Yes, I think I will"

* * *

"Go away"  
  
"No" Diana said, walking into a particularly dark, narrow passage in the Batcave.  
  
"I'm not going to hurt you" she said, walking towards the sinking image of her lover.  
  
"You can't promise that"  
  
"I need you"  
  
"No you don't"  
  
"Bru..."  
  
"Diana, we went through this"  
  
"YOU did, I didn't have the chance"  
  
"Leave"  
  
"What happened to Ra's Al Ghul?"  
  
"STOP!"  
  
"I can be as stubborn as you"  
  
"I don't want you anymore"  
  
"That's a lie"  
  
"Why do you say that"  
  
"Because you don't believe it"  
  
"Do I have to?"  
  
"Yes"  
  
"I'm tired, Diana."  
  
"How long have you not slept?"  
  
"Two weeks"  
  
"Bruce"  
  
"Batman! I'm only Batman to you! Only EVER Batman to you!"  
  
"You're a human being!"  
  
"I shouldn't be!"  
  
"You're not immortal!"  
  
"Maybe if I was, I wouldn't dream of your death every time I close my eyes! . . . You're a plague! Another tormentor! Why won't they stop! WHY CAN'T HE LEAVE ME ALONE!?!?" Batman spat, flooding the cave with reverberations upon echoes until the voice of Bruce Wayne came back very very small.  
  
"Why can't you help me?" the whisper reached her in the hands of a small boy begging fomr his mommy and daddy to return. But they never will. They never will.  
  
Wonder Woman took the three steps to stand above Batman, leaning down to carefully touch his forehead. He shivered.  
  
"I can try"  
  
"I'll hurt you"  
  
Diana leaned in and kissed him, grabbing his shoulders as he reciprocated before grunting quietly in her mouth. Drawing her hand along his torso, she stopped wideeyed at the thick layer of crusted blood stuck like glue to his uniform and skin.  
  
"It's not fatal"  
  
"What did you do?" she panted, her voice hushed.  
  
"The pain helps me remember"  
  
"Let me fix it"  
  
"No"  
  
"Batman, let me heal you"  
  
"I'm sorry, Diana." his voice came thin, stretched in a vale of torture as it barely carried enough strength to caress the dank cave walls. Bats fluttered and screeched past the sonically reverberate caves as Batman tumbled forward into Diana's waiting arms. His body had finally given up and it was that moment Diana knew was the only she would have to save him. She only needed one. 


	4. The Fates

A/N: Long time coming, but not as long as some of my other stories, so I hope you enjoy, and are not so confused at the Fates part. Remember: the fates are three goddesses talking as one, so the spacing makes sense if you read it all in succession. Also, Morpheus in this is not supposed to be a representation of any other dream-entity or god, he's mine in this one.

ccabello: not as soon as I'd like to have updated, but c'est la vie

Henry EviL: Let's be insane, it helps the world stay in pretty colours

brainfear: Yeah, if I don't get reviews I don't write, reviews are my inspiration. I'll change entire stories based on how the reviews go  
--------

Ra's Al Ghul had been captured shortly after limping away from the place Batman dumped him. The Justice League had been given the honour of interrogating him. Superman took his chances.

"How many people died in the attack on Kazakstan?"

"Their deaths would have been below me"

"Come on, that game won't work here"

"I made no attack?! Of what do you speak!?"

"Kazakstan! Have a spare Nuke hanging around?"

"Why would I want a nuclear missile?"

"Answer the question, Ghul. Why did you blow up a quarter of Kazakstan!?"

"I did nothing!"

"Do you still deny your involvement?"

"Where is Talia? Where is my daughter?"

"Where is the nuke, Ra's?"

"Give my daughter to me!"

Superman stepped back, yelling wasn't going to work, and Ra's Al Ghul wasn't going to crack, even if he DID steal the nuke. How does Batman DO it? Superman thought, taking a turn around the room to drink some water and think about how best to get the information out of the ancient man. Superman definately can't play dirty. Batman. . . well, all Batman DOES is play dirty, Superman gave out an exasperated breath as he looked at the man who one hour ago looked robust, if a little worse for wear. Heck, now he's got liver spots and wrinkles the size of an oversized sweater. He's going to fade. What should I do? Let him wither away? No. He's not answering any more questions, he might be dangerous, but maybe. . .

As Al Ghul limped into the shadows, J'onn watched in meditation, floating like a whisp of smoke into the alley way Al Ghul met a midnight haired woman who towed her father into an awaiting vehicle. Back to the lazarus pit.

"Will it work?"

"It's the best option we have, is it not?" the Martian Manhunter said, moving his muscles to a whisper.

"For now" Green Lantern said, tapping his comm link to leave J'onn to the search. Superman flew to Green Lantern, rubbing his forehead.

"We need Batman, don't we?" Green Lantern asked, rubbing the stubble on his chin.

"Didn't we always?"

"You know, for someone who fought so hard to be a loner, he sure has one hell of a way to tell us we're damned without him"

"We're not damned, just. . . I guess we just got used to Batman taking care of the dirty work. I think if anything it's reminding us that not all this hero stuff is saving puppies".

"Yeah"

"What I want to know is why Diana isn't here, and why it was so easy to find Al Ghul?"

- - -  
The sleeping form of Batman slumped on the medical table was one Diana had etched in her mind every time she closed her eyes. He looked dead. The medical slab no more than a funeral pyre.

"What did you see?" Diana asked, stroking a stray lock of black hair from his pale forehead.

"Something you will only live"  
"Yes, only live, will you"  
"Something for the tapestry"

"A proud and noble image"  
"Death!"  
"Pity!"  
"Breeding"

Three women materialised in the cave, one barely over 14, another clearly in the blossom of her adult beauty and the third knarled and hunched in elderly webbings of wrinkles and spots. The Fates: Clotho, Lachesis & Atropos.

"Why are you here?" Diana breathed, bowing before the godesses of destiny and time.

"You asked what he saw"  
"Prayed to Athena"  
"Hera"

"What else were we to do?"  
"Not much goes on for the weavers of the tapestry"  
"When we could be making a better picture"

"What did Bruce see?" Diana asked, stooping protectively beside Batman's slumbering, troubled form.

"The truth as it will be"

"I am going to die?"

"Eventually"

"your thread is not strong enough"  
"To hold our scissors shut"  
"But not by him. At least"

"Not in the way"  
"He thinks of death"

"Morpheus came to him in a dream, a flood of corpses, all of which he knew well"  
"You will join them"  
"Soon enough"  
"No one can avoid the Fates"

"We're tricky like that"

"The dark one thinks of death as an ending, an ebbing of the fight,"  
"For what is Batman"  
"Without a war?"

"He doesn't know"  
"How to live"  
"Without fighting something"  
"Significant"  
"Sacrificing"

"Himself for the cause he champions"

"He has yet a great part to play"  
"What can heroes do without a fear monger?"  
"Not much"

"What don't I know?" Diana asked, trying to piece some sense out of the enigmatic Fates.

"Cannot tell you that"  
"Against the rules"

"An ending, a beginning, the cycle of life & grief."  
"The reason for your healing"  
"Is to shape the future"

"With one final born warrior"  
"One more"  
"Warrior"

"A saviour wasn't enough"  
"One more"  
"And all will be complete"

"Finished"

"The war"  
"Will be left to a standstill"  
"Heroes will age"

"Death takes us all"

"Why did Morpheus visit Bruce?" Diana asked, trying to understand the broken statements the three women said in pieces to one another.

"Not tonight"  
"Not yet"  
"Wake up"  
"Wake up"  
"wake up"  
"Wake up"

"Hope is the only dream"

"Diana! Hey, Princess!"

Diana felt herself shiver as the image of the fates whisped away into multi-coloured sallow fog as Nightwing plodded up to the Princess through the image.

"How's Sleeping Ugly?" he said, pointing to Bruce's recovering form.

"I. . he'll be okay"

"Okay. Will you?"

"I'm fine"

"You looked in trouble for a minute there"

"I saw. . it was a dream"

"Oh goodie" the youth drawled, running his fingers through the dark mop of hair on his head before sighing and looking at Batman with a troubled look in his masked eyes.

"What?"

"Heard the news? Al Ghul doesn't have the nuke"

"Who does?"

"They. . . don't know."

"Batman would"

"At least he's the only one able to find out"

"J'onn could"

"Not unless he read everybody's minds"

"Nightwing, what are you saying?"

"I don't think we need to worry about the nuke anymore"

"Superman. . . "

"Will have Batman's head for this one"

"I won't let that happen"

"It's gonna start a war, isn't it?"

"Not until. . ."

"Until?"

"I have to wake Bruce"

"Your funeral"

"What did you say?" Diana asked, looking over to the stoic glare so familiar of the Bat and Nightwing.

"I was only joking. . . kinda. . . if you're going to wake Bruce, I'd do it carefully"

"Okay"

"I've got to check up with Commisioner Gordon"

"Goodbye" Diana turned back to Nightwing to find silence, and an empty spot. Like father. . . Dick isn't Bruce's son. Sighing heavily, Diana's head shot up as she heard a sick laughter catterwall through the Cave, frightening the bats out of their perches, and molting miniature stalagtites from the ceilings.

"Hahahahahaha"

"I . . . I know that voice"

"Hahaha"

"Morpheus!"

"Heheheheeh hello, Princess"

"Get. Out."

"Hehehhmm. I like it here"

"You won't when I get through with you"

"Nuh uh, Amazon. Not good to challenge a god. Bad karma"

"So's this!" Diana shouted, taking flight toward the midnight blue cloaked figure, hearing a gratifying crackle as the impact sent both of them flying into and through the upper wall of the cave, and three floors of Wayne manor, before turning down to careen out of the magnificent house and through a window before Alfred could tisk or shake his head. Not stopping, Diana flew faster, breaking the sound barrier as she used all her confusion and rage to keep going. Hearing a sickening cough and splinter, she let the god drop. He hit a mountain side on the way down. Hovering over the rubble, Wonder Woman peered down at the broken form of Morpheus like a goddess over an unwashed miscreant.

"cough Can't kill a god"

"Watch me"

"Wanna coughhack make a deal?"

"Give me Bruce"

"Sorry, no can do"

"Want to see if a god can survive a mountain slide?"

"I showed your sick, tortured lover the truth, it's his choice whether he believes it or not"

"Give him back"

"You don't own his soul"

"Maybe I should"

"Tad megalomaniachal dontcha think, Princess of Themyscyra?"

"We mated"

"I heard"

"I have to save him"

"Why, because in the process you'll be saving yourself? That excuse died with Oddyseus"

"Watch it, Morpheus, or I'll Medea your ass"

"By killing your children?"

"I don't have any"

"Yet"

"I don't. . "

"Think, Diana. Think HARD"

"I know!"

"Then put the two together, or do I have to remind you what happens to an Amazon mother? What's Wonder Woman without a fight?"

"You gods are getting redundant"

"What kind of hero can you be as a stay at home mother, Diana. I saved you!"

"To let Batman wither!"

"He's not Batman in his dreams no matter how hard you want to believe"

"I can still crush you"

"But you won't, because if you really want your lover back, and ultitmately the end of Wonder Woman, you're going to need my help"

"Shut up"

"Come now, you're beginning to sound like the Flash"

"I doubt I'm that juvenile"

"I must admit the Flash's dreams are like manifesting a series of chick flicks and teen movies"

"Enough!" Wonder Woman said, picking up a boulder the size of a semi.

"Amazons"

"gods"

"Mine sounds better"

"Whose holding the big rock, Morpheus. I doubt you can do anything without a head"

"Says the one with the gothic costumed bat as a lover"

"He's tender"

"That's the last word I'd say. You do realise people are the most truthful in their dreams"

"My mother never gave up her throne"

"Please tell me you know how you came into being"

"Of course I do"

"Bingo"

"Shut up!"

"Or you'll hit me with a big rock? You need to spend less time with the Kryptonian"

"Take me into Batman's dreams"

"You have to be a psychic to do that"

"I know you can do it"

"I manifest people in dreams, I'm not a doorkeeper"

"Then who can be?"

"One you already know"

". . . J'onn"

"Bingo"

"Come"

"Oh, I'm taking orders fr... yes ma'am!" Morpheus said, seeing Diana inch the four ton boulder into better aim. Not wishing to be squished flatter than an annhorexic pancake, the regenerating god stood on shaking limbs as bones began to snap back into place and Wonder Woman grabbed his cloak and took flight.  
Grabbing her Justice League communicator and flipping it on, Wonder Woman barked into the small yellow module.

"J'onn! Wonder Woman to J'onn Jones, over"

". . . ppzzzzzzzzztttt"

"Damn it!" she said, giving it a shake.

"Must've been when you decided to add sky lights to Wayne manor"

"Do you EVER stop talking?!"

"Obviously not"

"We're three kilometers above earth, don't make me drop you"

"Have it your way"

"Wonder Woman to J'onn! Where are you?"

"Pzzt... Diana!? pzzzttt Diana, is that you?" Superman's voice radiated through the tiny yellow box.

"Unless there's a spare Wonder Woman in the League" the pouting god said.

"Huh?" Superman asked, clearly confused as to the masculine voice on the other end

"Nevermind, the gnat was just gagging himself. Where's J'onn?"

"Are you SURE everything's alright?" Morpheus went to make a comment,but Wonder Woman glared at him, loosening her grip on his cloak briefly so he shut up.

"Batman's in a coma"

"J'onn's looking for the nuke"

"Lantern can look for the nuke, I need J'onn NOW!"

"Pzzt alright, pzzt you're breaking uzzzttp! Where are you!?"

"Above the Atlantic"

"Can you make it to the watchtower"

"Negative"

"I'll patch you through" a patch of static burred through the tiny radio as Superman changed the frequencies

"J'onn here, what is it?"

"Where have you been?"

"Taking a nap"

"By the way, Prince. . . " Morpheus said, raising his finger.

"You KNEW he was sleeping?"

"You could have just asked"

"J'onn, where are you?"

"Zeroing in on your position"

"Meet you at the B. . . " Wonder Woman stopped short as Morpheus waved his hands wildly.

"Isle of Dream" Morpheus stated quickly.

"Isle of Dream?" Wonder Woman asked.

"The Isle of Dream" Morpheus said, pointing his finger into the general direction of his island.

"Where am I going?" J'onn said, his Martian voice confused.

"The Isle of Dream", Grabbing the arm Wonder Woman was holding the communicator with, Morpheus shouted into it,

"Pass Themyscira, fly towards the big green space, when you get close, don't turn to the Sirens, they'll skewer you, turn towards the turtle"

"Who is that?"

"Morpheus"

"Oh joy"

"Meet you there"

"Oh, and J'onn?"

"Bring Batman".


	5. Antheia

A/N: Life happens, and within this life there are all nighters, three plays at the same time, work and university. Wow. Let's hope my lack of sleep means some okay writing. 

Bruce and Diana Wayne: here's more of the story. . . should be the rest in another chapter

dianaandbruce: thank you, I work with a visual style, I see everything in my head and am unsure sometimes if it gets through on the paper

oneredneckgoddess: hah! thank you.

Skite: they told Diana that she would die SOMETIME in the future, basically I meant everyone dies sometime. Odi, Amo et Excrucior is latin, actually a short poem/saying by a Roman poet named Catallus it means "I hated and I love, perhaps you ask why I do it, I don't know, but I feel it and am tortured" basicall the title was "Hate, Love and Torture"

ccabello: not soon, but better late then never

Nayvera: well, essential to your being, here lies another chapter, awaiting reading and review. Thanks for the kudos

robert1413: not soon, but here.

* * *

"Why don't you love me?" a small, female voice peppered the blaring wind as Wonder Woman threw her arm up to protect her face from the oncoming storm.

"I want to love you, but. . . IT'S SO HARD!!" the unmistakeable voice of Bruce Wayne became the wind as the gale blew Diana ten feet further away.

A chiding voice echoed in Diana's head,  
"Careful Princess, I can't protect you here" it was Morpheus.

Racing forward, Diana tried to get to the center, fighting and clawing through the sheer force of Bruce's will.

"Bruce!!!" Diana screamed, allowing all of the air to flood out of her lungs as she let go and was swiftly thrown by the wind before it immediately calmed.

Everything still, a tear crawled down Diana's face as she witnessed a small raven haired girl in a white dress walk up to the image of Bruce Wayne dressed in black, kneeling with his face in his hands sobbing blood, and then touch his forehead with her finger.

"Mommy would make everything better, wouldn't she?"

Looking up with his tear stained face, Bruce answered,

"I lost your grandparents, do I have to lose your mother too?"

Letting out a sob, Diana floated stationary above the scene. Hera, must the pain of the world fall on one man? Who could remain unbroken . . . Bruce was already shattered beyond repair. Diana remembered Batman once saying everything after the death of his parents has been solace. Even me, she thought as a tear stung her face. Even me. Diana, remember your strength floated to her mind, as J'onn Jones monitored her psychically in Morpheus' lair.

Turning around, the little raven haired girl immediately broke into a wide smile as she ran towards where Wonder Woman was descending to the swirling Van Gogh ground.

"Mommy!!" throwing herself at her mother, the small girl flung her arms around Diana, who reciprocated deeply, tears now freely flowing as Bruce looked on in disbelief, his bloody tears turned to water. Kneeling on the ground, Diana could hear the whispers of her voice softly coating the wind until they were amplified by sheer volume:

"It's okay, everything is going to be okay, shh, darling, shh I . . . you're so beautiful. . ."

"I'm sorry, Diana" Bruce said, standing and turning to face the ever present void behind, his soul threatening to wade in.

Picking the small girl in her arms, Diana stood, cradling her against her chest as she went to face the one man so responsible for the fate of the world.

"Don't be, Bruce. She's not a deamon or a terror or something to cause sadness, for even if the dreams of the world came down to nothing, at least we've dreamed at all"

"I will destroy you"

"Better me than her".

"I'm selfish, Diana, I don't want to let you go. Even for her!"

"You don't have to let any of us go! Bruce, this child is the hope we need to ensure a future"

"At the cost of your life? It's too much!"

Diana stood silent, shutting her eyes and smelling the hair of her daughter. Slowly, both could hear a miniscule whisper,

"Please don't hate me, I never meant to hurt anybody. Please don't make me go to the bad place"

". . . Perhaps. . . There is another option"

"How?"

"Athena"

"Come again?"

"When Athena's mother was pregnant, a prophet told Zeus the child born would be more powerful than he and one day take over Zeus' throne, so Zeus swallowed Athena's mother and Zeus began to suffer from headaches, so Hephaestus went and cut open Zeus' head with an axe and Athena came out full grown and armoured"

"Your point?" he said with a growl, as the tempest shifted from greys to reds.

"The Fates said the reason for our healing was to shape the future with one last born warrior, what if this is it? What if with the birth of this child the war would be over? Would you deny future generations peace?!"

"Why can't it be me? Why can't I be the one to sacrifice!? It's always YOU! Why do I have to slink away!!"

"You DON'T!"

"Why am I always the one that has to be saved?"

"Daddy! Daddy! Save me!! Save me!!" the girl wailed, reaching from Diana's arms to leap as Bruce caught her and the world went black.

* * *

"Uuugggghhhhhh"

"Well that was sexy" Morpheus said, standing over the Princess with a glass of . . . some nameless drink in his hand.

"You're still here?" Diana grumbled, taking the drink and sniffing it.

"Wh..."

"Nectar. It's amazing what you can get Hermes to deliver in his dreams"

Taking a sip, Diana downed the whole cup in one large gulp. Wide-eyed, Morpheus poured more,

"Careful, too much of the stuff and you'll be drunker than an irishman on Saint Patrick's day"

Getting up holding her head, Diana stumbled into Morpheus.

"Woa there Amazon. Hey, that was intense in there, give yourself a moment, you're only human"

"Can humans fly?"

"Okay half human. Unlike someone here"

"Where's Bruce?"

"Taking a walk."

"Taking a walk?"

"I wasn't under the impression that echo lived here, I guess I was wrong"

"Where IS he?" Diana said, reaching for Morpheus' shirt and raising him to eye level.

"Outside. In the sun"

Taking off, Diana flew through the palace, once in a while getting dizzy and hitting the walls, but for the most part searching for a way out. Deciding punching through marble was not a post-traumatic past-time, she opted to call J'onn.

"Whe..."

"Turn around" his voice came from behind.

Spinning, Diana's vision swirrled as the martian came into a slightly more correct focus. Taking her shoulder, J'onn led the Amazon Princess to a small painting of a seascape, and touching it, zoomed through the portal into a beautiful morning.

"Bruce!" Diana yelled, running for the man who stood, his hands folded behind his back. As he turned, he held out his arms, and she threw her body into his waiting embrace. Standing silent for several more moments, the lovers took in the smell of each other and the sea. Fresh, vibrant and utterly intoxicating. Opening her eyes, Diana watched Bruce's worry-lined face, touching his brow with a finger.

"I do not know what will happen, or even what could come, but I am willing to allow the future its prize"

"As am I. Diana. . ." hugging her tighter, he continued, "I don't want what time there is to be wasted by my own petty battles"

"There is nothing petty in what you do, Dark Knight. The battles and wars you wage must go on, you must not stop fighting, none of us can. War has swallowed us whole, and she's a fickle monster who does not let go. None of us, short of suicide can leave her clutches with honour until the war is won. That is why we must keep fighting, and that is why I need you more than any other being on this planet or in the entire cosmos combined"

Taking another look at the sea, a sigh of release eminated from Bruce, and the scene faded into a brilliant light as the lovers awoke in Gotham.

"I... I wish to appologi..." Bruce started, taking a look around at the unusually sunny room in his Manor.

"What happened to my roof?"

"Roof?" Diana mimicked, looking up in pretended ignorance.

"Diana" Bruce said seriously, taking her jaw in his hand and forcing her to look in his eyes.

"There... might have been a disagreement. . . Which ended in my flying through the roof with a god in my hands"

"Dammit, woman! I have to PAY for that!"

Looking him up and down Diana smiled a wry grin, struggling to stop the giggles in her cheeks from exploding. Bruce surveyed the damage, then turned awkwardly when he didn't hear Diana say anything.

"What?" he asked, hands on his hips.

"You look sexy when you're annoyed"

"Annoyed? How about angr..."

"Shut up, Bruce" Diana said, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him passionately. Behind the kiss, Diana could hear muffles of Bruce trying to speak, so she deepened the kiss until he gave up and joined in. A minute later, the couple destroyed another fragment of wall in their passion as the Fates weaved on.


	6. Jesus

A/N: Another chapter, really late, but at least it comes at all.

* * *

"In the beginning was the word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. . . In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men. And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it" John 1:1;4-5 (Amplified Bible. Zondervan)

He whispered his messages across countrysides, yelled in the Temple Square.

At least Jesus let himself weep over Jerusalem.

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, murdering the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a mother fowl gathers her brood under her wings, and you REFUSED!" Matthew 23

I flip through the thin paper of the Wayne Family Bible, yet another casualty thrown into the hands of a grieving nine year old. I can still remember my father taking it out on Christmas and Easter, maybe leafing through some of the pages reading the notes left by his father and grandfather before him. The front reads as a Family Tree left vacant after Alfred solemly took my father's fountain pen and wrote my parent's names under Deaths. Why do we keep a record of men's and women's deaths, when we should keep records of how they lived, of what their lives contained? I think that is why I still flip through the worn pages of this Bible, reading the stories of men who lived. Jesus always fascinates me, how they took his birth, and his adulthood and carefully inscribed it as Holy. His death is written there, too as a reflection on how he lived, on how many lives he saved with words and selfless actions, and how he alone defeated Death itself. How could the son of a carpenter raise his dying head up to the heavens and ask the Divine God of the Universe to forgive the men that not hours ago just nailed him with metal the size of railroad spikes to some gnarled, unfinshed wood? I don't understand how that could be possible, except that the claims of Jesus Christ's divinity are true. Who less than a god could forgive the very people who caused the most excruciating pain to him? Diana is standing at the door to my study. I know she's there, I heard her four minutes ago, but didn't feel like breaking my concentration. Sighing with the weight of many unforgiven men, I close the soft leather cover of the Bible reverently and let it slip carefully to the table beside my gigantic leather chair.

"I'm going to the Watchtower" she says, asking so many questions under the tones in her voice and the semi-nervous tension in her shoulder and arm muscles showing through the soft fabric of her sleeveless sweater.

"There's a business deal I have to reconcile in the next two days, and a drug cartel I think is being run by the Penguin and Two Face"

"Two Face and the Penguin?" Diana's surprised the two villains would team up, it was only a matter of time. Easily exploited. She's moved to sit on the arm of my chair, I casually lean my arm around her waist and pull her gently onto my lap. She smells like roses and lotus water. Intoxicating. . . if it wasn't me.

"I'm thinking of calling Dick in over the weekend"

"Vacation?"

"Element of surprise. Two Face and The Penguin expect me, not Nightwing and I together. If I eliminate any pre-meditated plans Penuin's thought up, I can defeat them both by stressing the differences in ideologies and beat them without much trouble"

"Hmpf. trouble" she sounded almost annoyed, like a fly getting in her way.

"What are you thinking?" I ask, almost surprised to hear my own voice speaking my thoughts aloud. I've been surprising myself more than usual lately. Must be Diana. I havn't told her I think it's a good thing she'll be spending time back at the Watchtower.

I obviously caught her off guard, she's opened and closed her mouth twice, while inspecting a crack in the nail on her right-middle finger. I take it in my hand and kiss it on the tip. She smiled. Good, I needed to disarm some tension.

"I'm thinking that we both think my being here constantly isn't healthy for Wonder Woman and Batman's Public Relations, not to mention Flash has been itching for another grueling mission or two. Apparently the newbies are giving him too much flack for being one of the 'original's"

"Hm! I don't think they realise he's younger than some of them by as much as four years"

"Bruce?"

"Yes"

"You're not here, are you?"

"Hmm?" I say, guiltily realising I havn't been paying attention to the conversation.

"Where are you?" she asks, grabbing my face lightly in her hands.

"Where do you want me to be?"

"With me"

"Done"

A quasi-uncomfortable silence pervades the study as Diana snuggles deeper into me with a soft feminine chuckle.

"Uncanny. I can carry conversations with you and you're not even listening, but when I have your full attention there's nothing to say"

"How long do you think we can keep this up?"

"How long do you plan to go on living?"

"Diana. You know what I mean"

"Yes I do. I'm going up to see J'onn. We're going to discuss contingency plans if I . . . we . . . in case my living arrangements here in Gotham become more . . . permanent"

"I can always come visit you in Boston"

"I think it's time Bruce Wayne and Diana became an item"

"Publicly?"

". . . Yes"

That's not what I wanted to hear. She's right, though. If what the Fates said is true, which I'm counting on as being accurate, and what Morpheus was able to show both I and Diana, a more publically permanent relationship between Diana and myself will be necessary, if not imminent. Damn.

"Go to the Watchtower, take three weeks, I'll see what I can do here, and we'll talk about it when you get back"

"Bruce, don't underestimate Two Face's hate. I have a feeling he'd rather torch everything and everyone if he thought he had a clear shot"

"Why do you think I'm asking Dick to come?"

"You're a clever man, Bruce Wayne"

"Only clever?"

"Uh huh." she's smirking, I'm a goner for that sexy smirk of hers. Always have been. Giving my lover a kiss, I let her hand trail off my face before I pull away as Alfred enters the room.

"Pardon the interruption, Master Bruce, but you have a call from a gentleman from Portugal who says he has new information on a certain artifact for the Wayne Museum Gala?"

"I'll take it in my office, Alfred. Thank you. Oh, and Alfred? Please escort Diana to her appointment with the Justice League Transporter, I won't have time to send her off"

"See you in three weeks, Bruce"

"Do me a favour"

"And what would that be?"

"Hurt some bad guys really bad"

"Deal. Do me a favour?"

"What?"

"Don't go berserk out there"

"No promises" I smile grimly, a shadow on the wall reflects the curtains of the room like a cape. Eerie. Just the way I like it.

* * *

"He's hiding something"

"umm... Princess? It's Batman"

"I know, Flash, but he's hiding something from me"

"Again with the it's BATMAN, have you two been introduced? Cloak and daggers, Princess, cloak and daggers." Flash said, taking another gigantic scoop of double fudge chocolate brownie ice cream with a touch of chocolate liqueur. . . Just a touch. We sit silently munching on the seven different ice cream flavours Flash sped away from the freezer, and a little contraband I brought up courtesy of the Wayne Manor Liquor cabinet. Who would have thought that I, Diana Princess of the Amazons, would be sitting up in a space station eating ice cream and alcohol with the Flash? The Fates are cruel.

"Whaddaya think it is?"

"Hm?"

"Wow. Sure talkative today. If you think he's hiding something you've gotta think it's something, right?"

"Flash, you surprise me"

"yeah. get that a lot"

"I don't know. Something from a museum?"

"o Goodie, a dusty old. . . "

"Portugese"

"huh?"

"Alfred said a man from Portugal found an item for the Wayne Museum Gala"

"Yeah? So it's probably some half a statue or something"

"Bruce doesn't own a museum"

"Ahha!"

"Who would Bruce trust to get something from Portugal that he couldn't tell me about"

"How do you know he's not gonna tell ya. What if it's a surprise?"

"I'm willing to take that chance. You didn't see Bruce's face when he heard the news"

"It moved?"

"Just enough to merit rememberance"

"I take it we're going to Portugal"

"Read my mind"

"Funny, thought that was J'onn's job"

"Hah. hah. C'mon, Flash" Whomever invented ice cream should be hung by their toe nails. And Alcohol, that too.

"Maybe we should. . . I dunno take fifty or something"

"What's wrong, Flash? Too drunk to remember where you live?"

"You ever tried transporting to the surface drunk?"

"No"

"Prepare for a bumpy ride"


	7. Azrael

A/N: AAAaaaaannnddd another chapter. Had some problems with They're fixed now, hopefully.  
--------

Flying recon, Diana saw a crimson smear along a building as something fluttered into and out of the shadows. Too slow to be Flash. Zeroing in on the caped man, Wonder Woman prayed that she knew what she was getting herself into as a wave of nausea made landing a definite priority. Lowering down to where the red caped man lingered, watching in the shadows, Wonder Woman turned to survey the rooftop.

"Why are you seeking me, wind-rider?" the crimson caped man said, his french accent thick and lilting. Out of the darkness, Diana thought she could see metal, a sword maybe?

"What are you doing for Batman?" squaring her shoulders, she waited for the next move.

". . . Leave" the voice said, walking out of the shadows to reveal a red caped man with two golden fire gauntlets, sword, and a face completely covered.

"Azrael!" Diana gasped. If Bruce was willing to call on HIS help, he was either desperate or doing something very illegal. Or just counting on someone I don't have a contactable relationship with. Diana mused.

"What I do is my business, how you found me is inconsequential. I suggest you leave before someone is wounded"

"Or worse?"

"Do not bait me, Windrider!" Azrael's gauntlets lit up in a brief firey blaze. Diana had never encountered this man before, and didn't know how far she could push without repercussions. Nightwing had told her stories of Azrarel, mostly involving someone whose mind was even more unsettled than Batman himself.

"Out of all Batman's contacts, why you?"

"Do not think that being in Batman's bed will save you! I hold no loyalty to you or your precious League"

"Do you think the Princess of the Amazons would be so easily defeated?"

"Amazons can still burn" Azrael said, using an intimidation tactic Wonder Woman recognised from Batman.

"Try me, little man" Diana spat, readying herself for battle.

"Leave!" Azrael shouted, gauntlets blazing as he drew his sword.

"NO" if she couldn't reason with the man she would beat the answer out of him. Another wave of nausea made her glad the night covered her quickly paling face. A small huff exited Azrael's mouth as he steeled himself for a fight.

"Very well. Prepare thyself, Princess" a quick change in the muscles of his thighs was the only alert Wonder Woman had of his attack. Quickly, the scarlet man flung his gauntlets out, raising a flame higher than the rooftops. Flying upward, Diana tried to fly out of the flame, her body screaming at the heat of the inferno. Diana flew down into the place Azrael occupied in the midst of the flame, charging with a hoarse grunt, as she hit Azrael through half of a roof into a building across the alleyway. Coughing abruptly, Diana shook her head as she vomited blood, mucus and brimstone before being thrown to the side. Shaking her head, she parried the blade of Azrael with her silver gauntlets, left, then to the right, thinking of nothing but the fast blade of flames swinging and cutting through the smoking debris. Lifting herself higher, Wonder Woman swung back, hearing a pleasant crack as her fist connected with a breaking rib. The secret to defeating one of the Batclan is that after all else, they're only human. It was rather a cheap way to battle, but also the only way other than demoralising their will. Azrael had the will of Batman himself, except combined with that he held a religious zeal that gave him an unshakable fervour. Watching the masked man land, Wonder Woman descended to hover three feet from where the rubble gave way to crimson. 

"What is Batman looking for! TELL ME!" Diana heaved, as the faint smell of gasoline filled the surrounding oxygen. Her eyes went wide as she tightened the grip on her lasso.

Before she could react, an explosion knocked her back into the sharp metal spikes of a fence on someone's rooftop balcony. A epic, tactle pain flooded her spine, as she lifted herself off the edge of an impaled rod, gasping as the thick coat of her own blood seized her back. Shaking off the grogginess of injury, Wonder Woman looked back at the man enrobed in fire stalking slowly toward her. A frightening sight, if she wasn't Wonder Woman. Grunting, Diana picked herself up,

"You didn't answer me! What is your business for Batman?" she spat.

"My business is for YOU!" Azrael yelled, charging the Princess, barraging her with attack after attack with his flaming, razor sharp gauntlets. Azrael knew the only way to be a victor through this battle was to be ferrocious, to tire the Amazon out and leave her for the Bat. All she could do was parry as his barrage didn't leave her a hole to fly or do anything without avoiding injury. The flames grew higher and more intense around her as she felt her air dissipating. He's suffocating me she thought, panicking and kicking her legs out, trying to fly before a part of his cape covered the sword he swung and sliced her in the arm. Pushing him away, Wonder Woman grabbed for her lasso, to find it was in his hand and around her neck, as the man swung with all his strength, choking the rest of the air out of her windpipe.

Sensing a crackle in the air, Diana realised she was trapped: surrounded by debris, her only way out being a direct attack. Smelling bitter sulphur, she readied herself for another blast of fire, before suddenly, another red streak blistered across the scene, yanking her out and past the man whose fire was too slow for the Flash.

"Watchit, Princess. Don't think Bats would like me very much if I let you get singed"

Placing the wheezing female down, Flash sped off, ebbing the flame, and getting closer to Azrael. Sending out a punch, Flash flinched as the man batted his attack away with a shuffle and roll before Flash connected with something hard and metalic.

"Ow! Hey, he's got armour, no fair!"

"Flash! That's enough!" Looking up, the sight of Batman was truely terrifying. His cape rustled in the Portuguese wind, billowing like the sails of an ancient British frigate prepared for war. Eyes shining through the sensors masqueraded as eye slits, the man behind the mask cringed sickeningly at the events he was not fast enough to stop. It was a hiddeous sight.

The Dark Knight flew down to Azrael's side, his innate darkness blaringly contrast to the flame. Bowing slightly, Azrael bent to Batman's ear, speaking a few indeterminate words before Batman nodded and Azrael engulfed himself in flames and vanished, with a flare. Walking briskly towards Diana, Batman scowled at Flash, who raised his hands in surrender.

"Don't look at me, it was her idea"

"I know. I said take three weeks, not four hours" he growled, bearing down on the Amazon like a true gothic horror. Diana found herself mute. Closing her eyes to the quickly healing pain in her ribs and back, Diana felt a tear run down her hot cheek. Batman's cold, black finger caught it as he bent low to investigate her condition.

Whispering, "I'm not appologising for this", Diana let the world go dark as her Knight enrobed her in his cape, and closed her eyes with two fingers.

"Relax," Batman whispered, lifting Wonder Woman's body as she let herself breathe and be carried like a small child. 

"Will she be okay?" Flash asked, looking worredly on the Amazon clutched in Batman's arms.

"She had the air sucked out of her lungs. She'll revive in a minute."

"Hey, Bats I tried to stay close, but. .. "

"I know, Wally. You've done well. Get in the Javelin, we're going back to the Watchtower."

"Are you sure that's wise? I mean, Supes's still . . . yeah dumb question. How's Princess?"

"Sleeping."

"Beauty"

- - - - - A soft strand of classical music lilted and lifted past Diana's ears as the Amazonian Princess breathed deeply the air strongly scented with lavender. Half expecting to turn and drape her arm around another torso, Diana woke quickly, raising up in bed to see the inside of her bedroom in the Watchtower.

"What part of take three weeks meant go chase Azrael? I must've missed that suggestion."

"What were you hiding?" Diana asked, running her fingers through her hair and lazily shuffling it behind her ears.

"Must I tell you everything?" Batman growled, gripping the chair arms through the fabric of his gloves.

"When it concerns me? Yes" Diana parried, equally as forceful in grabbing her pillow and chucking it at him. Batman moved his cowled head to narrowly avoid the pillow's trajectory. Feathers puffed their way through the air like soft falling snow.

Leaning back into his chair, Batman steepled his fingers, smiling slightly as he fingered the door lock, and took his cowl off.

"I wanted it to be a surprise. If you're this feisty, what am I going to do for Christmas?"

"You hate Christmas"

"So do you"

"Thusforth we must both celebrate it?"

"We could make the tree secretly ironic. Plus, Alfred's running out of ideas on how to use up turkey stuffing."

"So what is it? What's the secret?" Diana asked, moving over as Bruce sat on the bed beside her. He moved her hair to the side and began massaging her shoulders. Inwardly, Bruce laughed as his loose attempt of changing the subject failed with a flip of her hair. Purring, Diana realised how tense her back was from the fight.

"You first" he crowed, she was putty in his hands when he massaged her neck like that.

"I think you're hiding something"

Bruce nodded towards the small wardrobe against the wall. Rising from bed, Diana looked back quizzically at her lover, opening the doors to reveal a golden suit of armour similar to the one she had on Themiscyra. Turning back into Batman, she sighed as Bruce laced his arms around her waist, his fingers grazing her stomac.

"It was a gift to an Amazonian Queen long before Hypolita. Hephaestos made it for a Queen who had to go into battle while carrying her child"

Shocked, Diana fingered the soft white fabric of the cape, before feeling down the cool, golden metal to the expanding stomach plaiting, crafted of overlapping metal feathers that curved around the back. Turning in the embrace, Diana leaned in to kiss the raven-haired man. Sighing into the kiss, Batman picked up the immortal woman, carrying her to her bed, laying her carefully before tenderly kissing her stomac through the soft fabric of her grecian dresses. Leaning his ear down to her abdomen, Bruce let his fingers caress Diana's hips, then back up her body as she gently pulled him up to eye level.

"Why do you think I'm pregnant?"

"I ran a test on you as you slept. Plus, you're three days late." smiling to herself, Diana ran her fingers through Bruce's jet black hair.

"You never miss a thing"

"Part of the job description"

"What are we going to do?"

"There's a charity ball Wayne Enterprises is hosting in Gotham in two days. Would you accompany me?"

"Are you ready for this?"

"I'm always ready"

"Then why are your hands shaking?" Diana asked, turning to face the man's grim set face.

"It doesn't mean the prospects don't terrify the hell out of me"

"Batman afraid?"

"I can't lose you"

"You won't."

"How can you be sure?"

"I can feel it" she said, wishing the day was over. Dread slowly begain creeping in on her as she realised he was right. He will eventually lose her. Whether to war, or cultures, or the gods that be, or death herself he would lose her. Till death do them part. 


End file.
